you.” He hadn’t known the dead man, had barely known Ike, but she’d made a hell of an impression. And given that she’d been drawn into the danger through Max, William had felt compelled to do something, to apologize somehow for having not stopped The Nine.
“What about the second delivery?” he prompted.
“It was sent to my office at Boston General, maybe a month ago. The first card said something about us being together. The second one was a fashion critique.”
An ugly feeling congealed in William’s gut. “In what way?”
“He —” she faltered, and he saw that she’d gotten the hint in the latest note, as well. Her secret admirer was alone, just as Odin was now alone. “He said I should wear dresses more and take better care of my appearance.”
“Did he say why?” William demanded, not liking this one bit.
She shook her head. “No. But I’m wearing a dress now, and he must’ve followed me….” Tears gathered in her eyes and voice. “Oh, God. If he developed a thing for me during Max’s case, then Zed…” She trailed off, looking stricken, unable to finish the thought, unable to process the idea that her lover hadn’t been killed in her stead, he’d been killed so she would remain single.
William’s gut clenched. “That’s it, I’m pulling the plug. Your cover’s no longer secure. If you’re not in the parking lot in five minutes, I’m coming in after you.”
He expected a fight. If anything, his worry increased when she nodded, eyes stark and hollow in her face. “I’m on my way.”
I KE FLED FROM THE ladies’ room straight down the back stairs. She was shaking in earnest by the time she pushed through the last door to the parking lot, where she saw William waiting for her beside the SUV.
She burst into tears, ran to him and flung herself into his arms.
He caught her close and held on tight as she burrowed in and clutched at his shirt, pressing her hot face to the curve of his neck, simultaneously embarrassed by the outburst and terrified by the concept that she was being stalked by the leader of The Nine.
“Let’s get out of here.” He hustled her into the SUV and laid rubber getting them out of the parking lot, then wove through the streets, doubling back several times to make sure they weren’t being followed. Finally, on the outskirts of the city, he pulled over in a secluded spot beneath an overpass and threw the SUV into park. Then he unbuckled his belt, turned to her and held out a hand. “Come here.”
She went willingly, needing the human contact, the connection that told her she was still alive, still free, not locked away and forgotten somewhere small and dark. And perhaps he’d meant just that — a brief embrace, a reassurance that their plan had failed but they were still alive, still determined to take down Odin and any remnants of his organization. But whatever the intent, things changed the moment their bodies aligned.
Heat flared through Ike as she slid her arms around his waist and felt the solid male flesh beneath his T-shirt and jeans. She knew she shouldn’t find excitement in the moment but was helpless to fight the sensation as she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck and breathed him in, filling her lungs with the scent of the man who had talked to her in the darkness and who had worried about her.
She’d never found protectiveness sexy before. Now she thought she might begin to understand the pull. She eased away from him and looked up, wondering if the heat and the awful, terrible temptation was all one-sided, and found herself held prisoner in his eyes, which burned with a desire that matched her own.
They met halfway as though they were lovers already, pausing briefly to look in each other’s eyes and exhale a hint of breath. And then their lips touched. Held. Parted.
And rationality was lost.
He tasted of fear and frustration. Or maybe those were her emotions as she sank into him, let him sink into her. They kissed
“What about the second delivery?” he prompted.
“It was sent to my office at Boston General, maybe a month ago. The first card said something about us being together. The second one was a fashion critique.”
An ugly feeling congealed in William’s gut. “In what way?”
“He —” she faltered, and he saw that she’d gotten the hint in the latest note, as well. Her secret admirer was alone, just as Odin was now alone. “He said I should wear dresses more and take better care of my appearance.”
“Did he say why?” William demanded, not liking this one bit.
She shook her head. “No. But I’m wearing a dress now, and he must’ve followed me….” Tears gathered in her eyes and voice. “Oh, God. If he developed a thing for me during Max’s case, then Zed…” She trailed off, looking stricken, unable to finish the thought, unable to process the idea that her lover hadn’t been killed in her stead, he’d been killed so she would remain single.
William’s gut clenched. “That’s it, I’m pulling the plug. Your cover’s no longer secure. If you’re not in the parking lot in five minutes, I’m coming in after you.”
He expected a fight. If anything, his worry increased when she nodded, eyes stark and hollow in her face. “I’m on my way.”
I KE FLED FROM THE ladies’ room straight down the back stairs. She was shaking in earnest by the time she pushed through the last door to the parking lot, where she saw William waiting for her beside the SUV.
She burst into tears, ran to him and flung herself into his arms.
He caught her close and held on tight as she burrowed in and clutched at his shirt, pressing her hot face to the curve of his neck, simultaneously embarrassed by the outburst and terrified by the concept that she was being stalked by the leader of The Nine.
“Let’s get out of here.” He hustled her into the SUV and laid rubber getting them out of the parking lot, then wove through the streets, doubling back several times to make sure they weren’t being followed. Finally, on the outskirts of the city, he pulled over in a secluded spot beneath an overpass and threw the SUV into park. Then he unbuckled his belt, turned to her and held out a hand. “Come here.”
She went willingly, needing the human contact, the connection that told her she was still alive, still free, not locked away and forgotten somewhere small and dark. And perhaps he’d meant just that — a brief embrace, a reassurance that their plan had failed but they were still alive, still determined to take down Odin and any remnants of his organization. But whatever the intent, things changed the moment their bodies aligned.
Heat flared through Ike as she slid her arms around his waist and felt the solid male flesh beneath his T-shirt and jeans. She knew she shouldn’t find excitement in the moment but was helpless to fight the sensation as she pressed her face into the hollow of his neck and breathed him in, filling her lungs with the scent of the man who had talked to her in the darkness and who had worried about her.
She’d never found protectiveness sexy before. Now she thought she might begin to understand the pull. She eased away from him and looked up, wondering if the heat and the awful, terrible temptation was all one-sided, and found herself held prisoner in his eyes, which burned with a desire that matched her own.
They met halfway as though they were lovers already, pausing briefly to look in each other’s eyes and exhale a hint of breath. And then their lips touched. Held. Parted.
And rationality was lost.
He tasted of fear and frustration. Or maybe those were her emotions as she sank into him, let him sink into her. They kissed
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